Rick Hevier Management Consulting

This blog was originally posted on here: Rick Hevier's Tumblr --- Imagine this: You have to let some employees go. Maybe they haven’t been keeping up with their work. Maybe the company simply needs to tighten its belt, and they don’t fit into the new budget. Maybe they’ve been working for you for a long time, and are a trusted member of the company; maybe they were recent hires. No matter the situation, terminating someone’s employment is not an easy thing for anyone to do. So, here are some ways you can make it as painless as possible. 1) Be prepared Don’t wing it. It will almost certainly result in you misspeaking or being unclear in some way that is hurtful and unhelpful. Choose your words carefully, even writing out what you plan to say beforehand. Consider practicing on an advisor or close friend outside the business. You may even want to prepare an informational packet to give to each employee you are letting go of, containing information they will want for the...

Leadership takes on various titles and personalities. Leaders can come from any race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, and socioeconomic status. What makes a leader is not his/her title or background, but rather, his/her ability to harness and exude the following characteristics. 1. A leader is self aware. Leaders are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They know when to reach out for help and who they should reach out to for that help. They understand the power of delegation and recognize when someone is strong where they are weak. 2. A leader shows his/her authority through actions not just words or title. Leaders do not take their title for granted. They know that leadership is a privilege not a right. They do not use their tenure and experience as the sole purpose for why they get to make decisions. Leaders earn their title and trust not demand it. 3. A leader can confront others. Leaders know how to kindly and authoritatively effect...